Chapter 40 - Assault on the Commoner Dormitory (Part 2)

"KRROOO!!"

The monster charging at the front leaped powerfully toward me.

"...Kuh."

Soon, it thrust its sharp claws at me. In my panic, I quickly reached for the new sword I'd bought in the back alleys, but...

- Paang!!

Serena had already nimbly cut in front of me. She lightly blocked its claws with the fan in her hand, then swung it casually.

"Kkieeek!!"

The monster flew off powerlessly, slamming into its oncoming comrades. Seeing this, the other monsters halted their charge and began to hesitate.

"Where do you think you're going."

Serena eyed the monsters scornfully and leisurely flapped her fan. Faint moon mana began to envelop them.

"Kr, krrooo..."

"Kkie... kkieeek..."

Swept up in the moon mana, the monsters staggered and collapsed one by one. Before long, silence filled the dormitory lobby.

"How about that? Impressive, right?"

Staring blankly at the scene, I heard Serena ask with sparkling eyes.

"...Not really."

"Ugh."

I gave a curt reply to her sullen expression, ignoring it as best I could while murmuring inwardly.

As expected of Serena. She's already perfectly mastered the Moonlight family's secret techniques at this point.

Among the empire's three ducal houses, the Moonlight Duke's family was the "assassin family" that guarded the empire's nights. Fittingly, the Moonlight family, symbolized by the moon, wielded subtle and quiet—yet secretive and lethally precise—moon mana, the most suitable power for assassination.

Just like the radiant, overwhelming solar mana of the Sunrise imperial family symbolizing the sun, or the brilliant, beautiful star mana of the Starlight family symbolizing the stars, they possessed abilities befitting their lineage.

Of course, compared to solar mana's sustained explosive power or star mana's instantaneous bursts of immense strength, moon mana's destructive force might fall short... but its insidious infiltration, like poison, was devastating in its own right.

- Rustle...

As I watched the monsters crumbling into dust, Serena spoke up with a pout.

"...If you'd just kept training with Isolet or me, this would've been no problem at all."

Of course, I could obliterate them with a single sword stroke even now. I was simply holding back to hide my power from the assailant and Serena.

- Shaaa...

With the monsters down, I moved to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠start a proper search when a familiar sound came from behind.

"...Excuse me for a moment."

Kania was absorbing the black energy seeping from the crumbling monsters.

"...Ugh."

Serena grimaced at the sight, hid behind my back, and fanned to redirect the spreading black energy toward her.

"Here, have it all."

"...Thank you."

Kania frowned slightly but absorbed the energy several times faster.

"...Oh dear, the stray cat's angry."

"Get off me."

"Yes."

I peeled Serena off my back, where she'd been clinging, sighed, and glanced between them.

I wish they'd get along.

Serena had seen through Kania being a black mage since they were very young. I didn't know how, but since Serena was a natural genius even then, I'd asked her to keep quiet about it.

Fortunately, she'd listened and never exposed Kania, but ever since realizing her identity, their relationship had soured. They bickered over nothing, as they'd been doing.

"...Huh?"

As I thought that, Serena suddenly tilted her head in confusion from behind.

If Serena was reacting like that, something must be up. I hurried to her, but nothing seemed special.

"...Graffiti?"

"Well, it looks patterned to me."

We stared at the creepy graffiti on the lobby floor when Serena suddenly whipped her head around and headed somewhere.

"...The dorm manager and a maid?"

"Yes, their name tags suggest so..."

Following her, we found them unconscious under a fallen desk.

"Not dead, just knocked out. No need to check pulses—the subtle muscle twitches and abdominal..."

"Cut it. If you know why, summarize."

"Magic. Deep sleep magic."

I sent Serena away briefly and pondered quietly, then spoke to Kania, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠who had finished absorbing the black energy and stood beside me.

"Kania, want to probe their subconscious?"

"Y-you know that spell?"

"Of course. I know most things about you."

Smiling, I watched her panic and sweat, then added hastily.

"Ah, no need if it's too much. It takes a lot of black magic power, and it's dangerous."

Staring intently, Kania smirked and replied.

"No, I'll do it. I have excess black magic from the monsters."

"...Thanks, Kania."

She nodded silently and channeled black magic into the unconscious maid.

Watching curiously, Kania suddenly frowned and withdrew the magic urgently.

"...Won't work."

"What?"

She shook her head, looking grave.

"...I don't know. Something blocks subconscious interference."

My face twisted at her words.

"...That Demon King bastard's lost his mind."

"Pardon?"

"If even your 'subconscious magic' fails... only the Demon King's interference could do that."

"Th-then... the Demon King is here now?"

I shook my head calmly.

"No... He probably lent his power to the assailant."

"To an 'academy student,' not even an executive or subordinate?"

Kania looked baffled, and I mirrored her expression.

"That's why I said he's insane. Why do this? What's the point?"

As we speculated on the wildly derailed scenario, Kania asked cautiously.

"Young master, just to be sure... this isn't a quest failure, right?"

"No, not yet. The main quest window's still up."

"Then... the assailant and Demon King's 'goal' hasn't been achieved."

"Yeah. We need to stop it fast. And after, I need to steal that spot. So, Kania, a favor."

"Yes?"

"...Share some of that black magic power."

As I took some from puzzled Kania, Serena's voice echoed from upstairs.

"Come here!!"

Rushing to the second floor, Serena stared at me.

"...So, why'd you call?"

"To share my deductions."

She swung her fan, and the dormitory doors beside us began corroding.

"...Damn."

Inside the corroded doors lay unconscious commoner academy students.

"Other floors are probably the same. We took down ten monsters just to get here, no human traces."

"...Hmm."

Chin in hand, I pondered as Serena continued.

"This seems too big and malicious for you to orchestrate... so I'll ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠assume you came to stop it."

"...Get to the point."

"Why no casualties?"

My eyes widened, and Serena fanned calmly.

"A dorm full of aggressive monsters... yet zero casualties? They could've broken wooden doors easily."

"Plus, the exposed manager and maid on the first floor are fine," Kania added from behind.

Serena coughed lightly.

"Ahem. Considering that... someone controls the monsters."

"...The assailant."

"Yes. And why put everyone to sleep, release monsters only on intruders like us..."

Trailing off, she pointed to the first-floor lobby below.

"...See that graffiti we found?"

"Yeah, but why..."

"Similar graffiti here."

The floor indeed had graffiti matching the first floor's shape.

"The intriguing part: the first- and second-floor graffiti interlock perfectly."

"Then..."

"If it continues to the top... it forms a 'magic circle.'"

Breathing deeply, Serena said gravely.

"My deduction: must anesthetize everyone, no variables like intruders messing counts... a massive magic circle means..."

"...Damn."

Before she finished, I recalled the succubus queen's massive magic circle in the back alleys—for sacrificing "healthy children" to awaken the Demon King's power.

The graffiti shape was similar but likely more sinister, larger-scale.

So the assailant and Demon King's true goal...

"...A sacrifice magic circle."

"Rush the top floor now."

I commanded immediately and bolted upward.

"Young master, why the top?"

"Magic circle completes there. Assailant will activate it. Hurry and stop..."

"KRROOOO!!"

"...Damn."

Reaching the third floor, we were surrounded by hordes of monsters.

"...Time's critical."

"Young master, fall back."

"Hah... They're dust anyway."

As I bit my lip impatiently, Kania and Serena gathered power, glaring... but

- Pajijijiiing!!!

I couldn't hold back, drew my sword, and vaporized the horde instantly. They stared in shock.

"Y-you... how..."

"Explanations later. Follow."

Revealing my true strength to Serena was a huge minus, but the Absolute Obedience Magic would cover excuses... or worst-case, erase memories.

Right now, hundreds of commoners' lives mattered more.

"...Full-speed breakthrough from now. Keep up."

I infused my body with star mana and charged to the top.

"Y-young master?"

"Frey! Too fast!!"

Ignoring their dying cries—hundreds of lives first.

- Kugwang!!Kwang!!!

"Damn, that guy... where's that power from!?"

"Stop!!"

"Ehehe... hehe... you made it here... why stop...?"

Thanks to my rampage, we reached the top in minutes—an utter chaos.

- Pajijik!!

"Perloché! You okay?"

"Th-this is fine...!"

Ariane's barrier and Perloché's white shield blocked the pouring purple magic.

"Kuhk!!"

"Mana exhaustion, right? Don't overdo it!"

"Th-this much... is fine..."

Irina's fireball and Clana's golden flash clashed with the purple magic, exploding massively.

"Haaap!!!"

Isolet's sword aura erased the blast aftermath, revealing the assailant—top-tier even in this world.

"...Isabel, it was you."

Isabel, dragged off by imperial knights yesterday, screamed with a mad grin.

"Useless!! I told you—if 'Frey' shows, you're all dead!!!"

Her opponents scowled; Kania and Serena beside me looked baffled at me.

She pledged her soul.

Analyzing: She'd framed me for revenge, offered her soul to the Demon King, gained part of his power.

"Surrender! No chance!!"

"...Keep pouring mana, you'll burn out your life force?"

Just a fraction—she'd collapse soon.

"Hah, nonsense! Activate this circle today, I'm officially Demon King's army... the rest, my superior Frey handles!"

Demon King lent power to activate the "awakening circle." If successful, all commoners sacrificed; empire faces peasant revolt as Demon King, needing Curse of Ruin to manifest, fully emerges.

Demon King's army schemed smartly.

Only those abandoning all but one goal get Demon King power. Isabel, contacting them days/weeks ago, met the condition via my ruining her yesterday—escalating small assault to massive for favor.

"F-Frey!?"

"...You."

Her fighters spotted me.

"...Wait, Frey?"

Isabel, who'd name-dropped me wildly, panicked and glared.

"U... uu... uuuu...!!!"

She groaned disgustingly, then charged me full-speed.

"...Where."

"Disgusting."

Kania and Serena coldly blocked, but...

"Lord Frey!! Forgive me!!!"

Stopping short, Isabel knelt and slammed her head on the floor frantically.

"".........""

Stunned speechless, they turned to me.

Has she lost it?

Equally baffled why, a voice echoed in my head.

...What?

Panicking, the black crow on the window winked.

Now I recalled: That crow's the culprit behind the Commoner Dormitory Assault.

The Demon King's "pet," it granted nobles' wishes in exchange for souls in this scenario.

Not revenge on me, but "join Demon King's army." Hence flattering me, already linked to them.

Isabel alone couldn't delay enough.

The crow clacked its beak impatiently. I breathed deeply and addressed Isabel.

"Jeez, I've dropped so many hints..."

"S-sorry! Truly sorry!!"

Trembling in terror, she shrieked desperately—forgetting I'd never hinted.

"No way... you...?"

"Knew it... even now, tied to Demon King's army."

"...Filthy scum."

Acting familiar, the top-floor group cursed me; Kania grasped and bared teeth, readying attack.

"Wait!! Stop!!"

Serena cut in, yelling.

"...Serena?"

"Oh, long time..."

"...Familiar face."

Irina, Perloché, Clana lit up.

"F-Frey slashed monsters to save us all! Probably!"

But Serena's plea cooled them.

"...Serena didn't regress, huh."

"Pity."

"...Tch."

Sensing chill, Serena urged me desperately.

"You!! Tell the truth!! This isn't you—huh?"

I drew my sword casually, scanning them coolly; she paused, glaring.

Thinking again?

Knowing her thinking face, before worse, I touched the Domination Stone in my pocket.

""KRROOOO!!""

All dormitory monsters surged to the top.

- What!? This!?

What else? The Stone's true power, hidden till now.

The crow panicked mentally; I replied silently, hypnotizing it again.

It was key evidence for Demon King revival, the true mastermind blackmailing/manipulating me—protecting my position.

Use it well; then Empress (ally) and Sun God Church (bribed) would shield me.

"Hahahahahaha!!"

Preparations done, I cackled evilly, expelling Kania's implanted black energy, shouting.

"For the Demon King's descent!!!"

Everyone readied attacks silently.

...I'll be bedridden a week.

Time to become the Commoner Dormitory Assault's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠final boss.